Adrift Tiki Bar & Grill

Oh my gosh this place is great. Great Happy Hour friendly staff, awesome food! We will be back!!!

This Denver tiki bar is mediocre. I’ve experienced tiki bars all over the country from Honolulu (La Mariana) to NYC (Otto’s Shrunken Head), from Los Angeles (Tiki Ti) to New Orleans (Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 and Tiki Tolteca), from Chicago (Three Dots and a Dash) to San Francisco (Smuggler’s Cove and The Tonga Room) and even to Great Falls, Montana (The Sip ‘n Dip) and this Denver tiki joint just kinda missed the mark for me.
First of all, the drinks just weren’t very enjoyable at all. Tiki drinks are meant to taste good and be enjoyed, not to be mixed so unevenly (strong) that you can’t even appreciate them. The presentation was weak (see Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago if you want to experience how a tiki drink should be made), the bartender was boring, the drinks weren’t served in tiki glasses (whatever, but if you’re gonna go with the whole tiki schtick, why hold back on the glasses?) and, bottom line, the drinks just weren’t very good.
It seems like the owner enjoys tiki bars so decided to open one up, did his research (noted all of the origins in the menu dating back to Don’s, Trader Vic’s, etc), decorated it to pay homage to some of the better ones out there (the blowfish lighting a la La Mariana, tiki glasses on display from other locales, etc) but neglected to focus on the most important aspect: the drinks.
Maybe it stands out for Denver, but in comparison to what else is out there this place doesn’t measure up.

I went there tonight for my birthday and was really disappointed. Our waitress stopped by our table 3 times within two hours. She left dirty dishes and we had to wait on an average of 20 minutes for a drink after we were able to track her down and order. I ordered a beer and she never brought it, after waiting 15 min. I had to track down someone else to request that they take the beer off my tab and request the check. It was very unfortunate because this place is either over rated or understaffed. I will never waste money on this place again.

The service is pretty bad. Everytime we asked for something, we never got it. I had to pre bus my own table. Couldn’t even get a salt shaker.

The décor is awesome. Good drinks– a good happy hour, great service. Definitely worth the stop.

WTF
I walked into a 2001 college bar BUT the ones that were out of business by 2002. I ordered a $ 10 drink that was on the «tiki standard menu» I think it was fireball on the rocks… but in a tiki cup so that’s cool :/​
TERRIBLE smell changed our minds on food.

Hey, update your hours. You are closed on Sundays. I wish I could review you but l fly out on Monday.

A great place to be when the weather outside is frightful. We decided to enjoy a bar crawl snow day this past weekend and Adrift was decided to be our last stop. Its décor and bright murals of Tahiti will make anyone forget this past aprilary weekend. We had the poke which was good and reminded me of shoyu poke that you find in Hawaii. Couldn’t decide on an appetizer so a sampler plate did the job. Highlights were the mufungo and crab/​cream cheese rangoons. Add in a fishbowl of planters punch and macadamia nut chi-​chi, also featured on the happy hour menu. It was a great time and felt lucky to have a table when 6 o clock rolled around.

What do you do when it snows in mid-​April?
Go out drinking
Where do you go to feel like you’re on a tropical vacation?
Adrift
What do you order?
Planter’s Punch for two with extra long straws
Is it the healthiest way to to deal with the wintertime blues? Probably not, but Adrift does make me feel like I’ve been whisked away on vacay, even for an hour or two. The bathrooms have an extra vent in the bathroom that blasts hot air. It feels so good when you’ve been chilled to the bone.
If you’re going to have a rum drink (and yes, you should), get some ahi tuna poke or a pupu platter to line your belly with some sustenance. And if you arrive before 6 pm, there’s a good chance you’ll score a booth in the main dining room. It’s far away from the real Hawaiian islands or Tahiti, but it’s a helluva lot better than sitting outside in the slushy snow.

Funky and fabulous.
When I walked through the front door I thought «Holy Cow it does exist!”~ a time warp to back to some 60’s tropical South Pacific wonderland as «Gilligan’s Island» silently played on the flat screen TV. This place holds cheeky true to what one would expect visually for this type of venue.
We arrived around 9:30 on a Friday night and were still able to seat 4 at the traditionally styled Tiki bar. All the tables were full and everyone seemed to be enjoying the funkiness of this oasis as much as I was. The service was prompt and all our drinks were good. I think it’s pretty cool that a concept first founded in the 1930’s is still appreciated some 80 + years later.
It has been my standing rule to never order a Mai Tai (yum) unless actually by a beach. However I made the exception this Friday and now I may have to nix that rule. Happily.

The food and drink selection here are both amazing! I highly recommend the edamame and crab cheese wontons. The drinks are all very original and tasty. Will definitely be visiting here the next time I’m in Denver.

I love this place! Awesome atmosphere. The drinks and food are great. I usually don’t like guacamole but I ALWAYS order it here. First time here I came with a group of 4. Everyone loved their drink and food they ordered. I tried missionary’s downfall is a very refreshing blended drink, perfect amount of rum, brandy and mint. The rest of the table tried El Diablo, paradise cooler and American mule. We also shared a scorpion bowl. Scorpion bowl is nice size to share with 2+ people. It is a strong drink mixed with brandy, rum, pineapple and other flavor. Food was good too. I ordered sliders and they were cooked perfectly and not greasy like some places. The others had Jamaican jerk cheeseburger, po’ boy, chicken satay and tacos. Everyone loved the food and drink! I would highly recommend it to anyone !

Woooooooooo, cocktails with a 2 order limit! You know that’s gonna be a good time. Only a couple have a limit, don’t worry.
I was super excited to eat here, especially when I saw their gluten free menu options online. But I didn’t see that they stop serving food at 8, which was a bit of a disappointment. We stayed and ordered a couple cocktails anyway, which were suuuuuper strong. Of course most drinks are rum heavy, this is a tiki bar. But they’re beautiful and fruity and fragrant and the presentation is gorgeous! There’s a wide variety to choose from as well.
The ambiance is fantastic;classic tiki bar feel with all the colors and décor and island theme from the moment you walk in. The bartender seemed a bit aloof and disinterested in us, but when it came down to it he was friendly. Overall a really fun atmosphere that makes you want to stay.

This hip niche bar with a retro Hawaiian American theme is really a unique spot in Denver. I am honestly not down in the Alameda area of Denver often, but this place was charming enough to warrant the walk. My partner and I were trying out a bar/​restaurant hopping map that was planned along the light rail route to explore different parts of the city. Adrift was definitely a memorable stop and was perfect because their menu is mostly Tapas (which was actually quite filling.)
The Grand.
— The atmosphere is the highest selling point. You’re transported back in time to the 50’s when Elvis was in his prime. It’s Hawaiian American themed with dead blowfish as lighting; so, odd & cool at the same time.
— Even though it’s themed, it’s not pretentious. I also had a sort of neighborhood/​divey feel.
— The staff was pretty friendly and accommodating for such a busy night too — so bonus kudos for the added positive energy. We went @ 8pm on a Saturday and squeezed in at the bar.
— I recommend the sliders with the tasty pineapple chutney-​type sauce.
— The high-​energy buzz, retro movie on the wall, and cozy (tight?) bar seating make for an interesting date night experience that I enjoyed.
— I honestly have what their description calls a «rum-​centric» drinking preference, so I was pleased with their fruity, eclectic hawaiian alcohol selection.
The Critiques.
— It’s not comfortable enough to be one of my regular «go-​to» dinner spots, it’s more of a themed/​experiential dining atmosphere for chatting and drinking.
It is likely that I will recommend Adrift to friends and return with a fun group who wants to enjoy the cocktails. I look forward to trying their ahi or ramen! Although, I’ll probably go somewhere quieter for date night in the future.

Yes.Yes.Yes. Adrift makes me feel like I’m in a Quentin Tarantino movie. Red vinyl booths, ’50’s surf music, and a badass crowd. Black hair, red lips, lots of vampy types and groups of girlfriends getting hammered off their fishbowls. It’s great. I had an El Diablo, which was tequila, ginger beer, lime, and crème de cassis. Strong and addictive. I wish I would’ve tried one of their frozen drinks, because they looks luscious. next time! For food, I went with the edamame which is heavily seasoned and spicy. I loved it! But, the star of the show was the mufongo chips. Basically super flat, crispy plantain chips topped with a super simple coconut reduction and scallions. They blew my mind. I probably talked about these chips to everyone I know for a week straight. Don’t walk by this little oasis on Broadway. Stop in and get taken away to the islands.

Adrift is a fun place to come just for the novelty of it. A tiki bar 1500 miles from the ocean– I mean, sure, why not? They stick to the theme pretty well and have a variety of tasty tropical drinks, including the macadamia nut chichi.
I am way more of a beer drinker than a cocktail person, but I occasionally make three exceptions: LITs, Moscow Mules, and the Macadamia Nut Chi Chi from Adrift. It’s as frilly as you get, but fuck it: you ARE at a tiki bar, after all. The downside is the price– $ 10 (!) outside of happy hour. If you can make it here during HH, it’s only $ 6 which significantly softens the blow. In fact, happy hour is really the only good time to come here, because all of the cocktails are pretty pricey outside of it. The draft beer selection, while limited, is $ 5 and probably one of the cheaper choices outside of Happy Hour. Also, it drops down to $ 3 during HH, so if tiki drinks aren’t your thing, you’ve still got options.
The food is okay, but not anything I would travel out of my way for. The prices on the food side are also a bit steep– $ 8 for 4 chicken wings, $ 4 for a slider, etc. The sliders are actually quite tasty, but not a lot of food for the price. The most disappointing menu item I’ve tried were the doughnuts, which they advertise as being filled with lavender cream cheese. I barely tasted cream cheese, certainly didn’t taste lavender, and they were really doughy. I would avoid those, especially for $ 7. I believe they have a couple snacks on HH pricing, though I’m not sure what.
I have been here a handful of times and while service is always friendly, it’s also slow. Sloooooow.
Overall: fun theme, tasty tiki drinks, okay food, slow service. Come during happy hour!

This review is for the service only. We did not order food and I just had a glass of wine, so I can’t speak to either. We had a super rude waitress who first told us to sit on the other side of a long table that is also a corridor to the bar. Then, she and other servers proceeded to yell at us all night to get out of the way. They were yelling «corner» really loud even though there was no corner in sight. Why ask us to sit there and then complain that people were standing in their way? Either close that seating or move your bar access.
This girl that was serving us was really nasty and gave me attitude and rolled her eyes when I asked for a glass of water.

This place is great for drinks and atmosphere!
Like everyone else says, it’s like a secret island getaway right when you walk in the door. We tried some of the food, which we did not care too much for, but enjoyed several drinks including the macadamia chi chi. I recommend meeting for drinks here before dinner :)

I love the décor of this place! Feels like blast to past with the vintage Hawaiian tiki décor and inspired drinks. They have a nice patio in the back and plenty of space for a large party inside. I had a few drinks there that were really good, and my husband had a Cuban sandwich that he is still talking about a few days later. I had the chicken satay appetizer and it was just wanted I needed. Location of this place is nice starting point if you want to have a night out on broadway and make your way down the strip and bar hop.

Horrible experience for my first time here ordered onion rings and crab cheese wontons and the waitress charged me $ 77 for two simple items. The excuse I received for being charged $ 77 was I didn’t ask for a split tab but a group of my friends receive their tab prior to me asking for mine and only got charged for what they purchased. waited 30 minutes for a drink never got it when she finally came back she said they were working on it I just cancelled the drink order paid and left wouldn’t recommend.

If you wanna feel like you’re on vacation on the beach in the middle of Winter, go to Tiki. The drinks are always nice and strong and the service is outstanding. The food is unique and yummy. Good location so its a nice place to stop and relax on the way to an event in the South Broadway area.

I visited this quirky little bar yesterday and enjoyed the Macadamia Nut Chi Chi (seemed light on the alcohol) and Thai spring rolls (great). Fun atmosphere and attentive servers but also it was not the least bit crowded at the time (Friday 4 – 5 PM). The big screen playing beach themed movies was a fun touch.

I only came for drinks and based on the pictures of food here I want to come back. I got the fog catcher drink so I could stray out of my comfort zone of mules and I was very impressed. For starters the drink was strong! but not so overly strong the alcohol drowned out the flavors. I went on a night that seemed to be pretty dead but I could tell the atmosphere would be great on a more popular night. Drinks were about 8 – 12 $ which for there size, strength, and the atmosphere really isn’t bad.

Adrift is such a fun little place, I’m so happy we walked in! We had our drinks on the patio because it was nice day. It was happy hour which was awesome. We all got Mai Tais and they definitely hit the spot (better than most Mai Tais I’ve had and actually garnished with fresh ingredients!) after a few drinks we got a little hungry and ordered the Pu Pu Platter which was perfect for the 3 of us. It was my birthday the next day and our server noticed that on my ID and brought me a birthday shot, which was so sweet!

My other half and I honeymooned in Maui, and Adrift brought me right back to that carefree time on the beach. The décor is spot on-it’s kitchy without being even the least bit tacky, which is a fine line to walk and especially in a Tiki Bar (or any themed bar, for that matter). One of the table lamps had a shade that said «Walt Disney was here.» and if he weren’t long departed, rest his soul, I would believe he had a hand in the design.
Of course I had to order a Macadamia Nut Chi Chi after finding out that all the juices are hand squeezed in house. Could taste both the love that went into the beverage as well as the fresh pineapple and more subtle macadamia nut flavor.
The real winner at Adrift is the food. There is literally something for everyone (even my more particular vegan counterpart) and the food was pleasantly healthful for a neighborhood watering hole. At the same time, it is also delicious. I had the steak (the side of Brussels sprouts was a highlight, and I’m not usually a big fan) and nibbled on some edamame (wow-​spicy but great) and some fries (they were a dream).
I’d up the ante to 5 stars, but our service was so-​so. To be fair, it was during a packed happy hour, but we did have to wave our server down several times and the to go order I’d asked to be held came out right away. That said, I’d be willing to believe that this was a fluke and will happily come back again in the very near future to find out!

This place is very different than most bars. The very much so embrace the tiki lifestyle. Bamboo everywhere, themed drinks, Hawaiian tshirts/​dresses. Its an enjoyable atmosphere. The drink menu is impressive and the 3 drinks I tried were all well made and not weak at all. Very yummy. The food is just ok, but its a bar first, grill second, go for the drinks.

Bird of Paradise: ⁵⁄₅
Sooo gooooood! It isn’t strong where it burns my throat ! Which I love hahah !
Macadamia Nut Chi Chi: ⁵⁄₅
It’s their most popular drink! And it’s delish !

This is my favorite bar in town. I have been going to Adrift since it opened in 2013. The drinks are beyond great! The staff is wonderful, I love talking to Olivia and Carlos. I have taken anyone I possibly could take there in my inner circle and out of the circle, lol.
My favorite drink is the Suffering Bastard and the Cha Cha (Rum) is great too which is not on the menu, you must ask for it specifically. You will see me there on Taco Tuesday the most.

This place is neat! I felt like I was back in Hawaii for a moment. We only ordered drinks and got the scorpion bowl. This shared drink is served to you with a flaming lime. So fun! Then I also had a happy hour macadamia nut chi chi drink. That was my favorite! Prices are reasonable and its a fun atmosphere.

Great atmosphere and Yummy Drinks!
I loved my Moscow Mule and the other drinks I had.
The appetizer was just so so, but I would definitely go back for Happy Hour!

Adrift is by far one of my favorite bars in Denver. The bartenders are always nice and accommodating, the drinks are amazing (they have this macadamia liquor coconut thing that I dream about), and the food is good. Great ambiance too, and I love that they place retro movies on the projector. There are zero things to complain about at Adrift, just like a tiki bar should be!

We came in here on a Sunday early evening. I love tiki lounges and was excited to experience what Denver had to offer.
What a disappointment. The service was painfully slow. Do not come here if you are hungry or thirsty. Our group of 4 all ordered drinks with appetizers and entrees. Our food came out (about 25 minutes later) and we then inquired about our appetizers. Mind you, this was the first time we saw our waitress since we ordered. She said the usual «Oh, I must have left it in the back, I ordered it at the same time» spiel. Needless to say our apps took another 10 minutes because you know homegirl never ordered them to begin with because SHE DIDN’T WRITE ANY OF IT DOWN.
Now I might be willing to forgive some of this if it were busy. It was not, there were only two other tables in the entire restaurant. When we first got there we asked the bartender if need to wait to be seated, he told us «Just sit wherever, you’re better off ordering food from the waitress because I’m busy making drinks» Dude, its a restaurant, you should be skilled in both making a damn drink and putting in a food order. Again, if it were busy… but it wasn’t.
Oh, also they don’t serve any of their drinks in actual tiki mugs (?). Wtf is that? Isn’t the whole point of the tiki lounge to get a drink in a cool looking glass with plastic monkeys and umbrellas in it?
Get some new staff or a manager who can train people to multi-​task.

This place is a funky little SoBo gem!
Their retro-​tiki lounge décor is really well done and not half-​assed in the slightest. The lighting is dim, the music is fitting, the walls are lined with bamboo chutes, and most cocktails has a flower or an umbrella in them. When you walk in you’re transformed to the 1960s on an island in Polynesia.
I’ve been a few times, once in a big group, another time in a smaller group. The place is fairly small and seems a bit crowded. They do have a lot to larger booths that are good for groups as well as smaller tables. I’ve ordered small plates and shared them with the group. Everything I tried was great!
My favorite drink is a massive punch bowl that is delivered to you on fire. They bring you as many foot-​long straws as you need (and you need a bunch, because this is a strong cocktail meant to share). Their cocktails are fancy, boozy, and tasty, and are priced to match.
It gets pretty crowded on weekend nights, so plan ahead.

What’s not to love about this place? Interesting and different cocktails, friendly bartenders, and great people watching… and there’s pretty decent food?
That makes this place a safe bet for when you wanna go out, have some drinks and food, and meet some people. We sat at the bar, which was a stellar move. Bartenders took care of us, made sure we had water, and gave terrific recommendations on drinks. One of them even gave us the run down of the tv series that was running in the background (a super old sci-​fi series that was really confusing b/​c there were characters out of Spartacus, aliens, and people dressed in 40s/​50s gear).

I had brunch here recently with a daily deal voucher. Overall it was a pleasant experience. I ordered a banana daiquiri, my husband got a Yeti. For my entrée I went with the veggie sliders: veggie sausage, eggs, cheese, & Sriracha crème, served with tater tots. The sliders were good; I think it’s a little weird they come with tater tots… I would think breakfast potatoes would be more fitting at brunch. Also the tots were lukewarm when they arrived. During our meal someone came by and gave us one of their homemade pancakes, on the house. That was really tasty. The service (both our waitress and the kitchen) was fairly slow despite the fact there were only 2 – 3 tables the entire time. But I’ve had worse. I’m not sure I’d return unless I got another daily deal, as the sliders were $ 11, my drink was $ 8, and 2 breakfast tacos (no side) are $ 10. But the food and drink were good.

This place is cool! I only ordered drinks, I can’t wait to come back and try the food!
I had a mai tai, which was good but the level of citrus was so high it upset my stomach. I switched to an agave wheat which was on draft, yay! I also had a cool looking frozen drink with a real flower in it, not sure what it was, but saw someone else drinking it and got jealous. I love the atmosphere! I can’t wait to come back and try more things.
Happy hour prices are beyond reasonable, making it easy to overdo, good thing I live walking distance!

I am a sucker for themes of any sort whether it’s themed food, themed clothes, themed parties or themed restaurants. Adrift definitely brought it with the interior tiki theme decoration. The restaurant felt hidden because of the entrance within an entrance. It gave you the impression of escaping to a tropical hidden cave.
Inside there’s dried puffer fish hanging from the ceilings as lights. Sounds grotesque and maybe it was a little but it’s pretty neat at the same time. There’s a giant wall where the bar is at where the alcohol is nicely displayed up to the ceiling under a thatched bamboo overhang. The opposing wall has a tropical painting landscape.
The special they had for the day I came was $ 2 tacos. They had carnitas, fish and spam tacos with a chipotle sauce. I tried the carnitas and the fish. The amount of fish was slim but it was very tasty. The tortilla itself was slightly dry. But given the price of the taco I thought it was a great value.
Happy hour menu included edamame, wontons (which my friend tried and said the dipping sauce was too sweet) cocktails (I tried the macadamia nut cocktail which tasted too much of artificial coconut) among other things.
I shared a $ 44 punch bowl with friends that had pineapple, lime, and lemon wedges aflamed with barcardi rum and sparkling wine. The entire fish bowl was filled almost to the brim with shaved ice and them the liquid was poured in. It is much less drink than it appears to be unless you count melted ice as part of the cocktail. The drink itself was pretty good and tasted mostly of the sparking wine. It’s definitely a fun drink to share and take pictures of.
I tried the mango sticky rice (it is 1 of my favorite desserts in the entire world) and enjoyed the mango but found the rice to be harder in some areas that the other. The coconut milk seemed to sit on the race rather than be soaked into it. It was still good but not the best that I’ve had.
Our waitress was awesome and funny and even threw in April fools jokes on us (she told us she was charging us for water). The hostess was kind enough to take several photos for us and was quite polite throughout the night. The woman who took care of our bill was nice enough to accept 7 credit cards and 1 cash payment for the one bill. So customer service was definitely great.
This was a great way to hold me over from my craving to go to a tiki bar in SF that has been on my long bookmarks list of to tries.